Commodity-dispensing device



May 25,1926. 1,586,485

7 A. M. SWANSON ET AL COMMODITY DISPENSING DEVICE Filed April 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. A-M--SLLIHNSE|N L.D. STDPPEL A TTORNEY May 25 1926.

A. M. SWANSON ET AL COMMODITY DISPENSING DEVICE Filed April 20, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -INVENTOR. A.M. SLIJHNSHN L D STEIFPEL Patented May 25, 1926 UNITED STATES 1,586,485 PATENT OFFICE.

- ALBERT M. SWANSON AND LOUIS D. STOPPEL, OF ISLETON, CALIFORNIA.

comom'rv-msrnnsme DEVICE.

This invention relates to improvements in commodity dispensing devices and has particular reference to a vehicle adapted to have stored therein a quantity of commodities.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a traveling vehicle wherein a stock of commodities may be readily dispensed.

Another object is to provide means for the storing of the commodities so that it will be convenient for the prospective purchaser to ascertain the stock on hand.

Another object is to provide means whereby the commodities being dispensed will be fed by gravity to a point convenient to be dispensed.

A further object is to provide means whereby a cooling medium, such as ice, may be stored within the vehicle for the purpose of maintaining a cool temperature while travelling along hot roads. 7

A still further object is to utilize all of the space within the vehicle in an efficient manner and to further provide means where by bottles and the like may be separated if desired, by resilient pads thusprotecting the bottles against jar and further absorbing undue noise incident to the containers hitting each other.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,'

Figure I is a side elevation of a vehicle constructed in accordance with our invention, o

Figure II is a top plan view of the body of the vehicle partly broken away to dis: close the interior thereof,

Figure III is a rear elevation of the vehicle body partly broken away,

Figure IV is an enlarged detail view showing the manner of inserting the resilient pads between the containers, and

Figure V is an end elevation of a plurality of cross pieces which serve as racks upon which the containers such as cans, bottles and the like may rest and be moved along from the rear to the front as will be later on described.

We are aware of the fact that vehicles have been employed for dispensing com modities. These vehicles, however, merely consisted of a plurality of shelves and consequently it was diflicult for the customer to ascertain what the vendor carried upon the shelves and further it was difiicult for the vendor to reach the commodity desired by the customer.

We havetherefore provided a series of inclined cross-pieces upon which the commodities are placed and down which the commodities slide until contacting a suitable stop adjacent the doors. We have further provided a central chamber between the opposite sections of the vehicle in which ice may be placed for the purpose of maintaining a cool temperature while travelling thru a hot section of the country.

In the accompanying drawing wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of our invention, the numeral 5 designates the body of a vehicle, which body is preferably rectangular in shape and is provided with a central chamber 6, access to which is gained by a door 7 in the rear of the vehicle. The opposite sides of the vehicle are preferably provided with a plurality of doors such as shown at 8 and 9.

The doors 8 give access to a plurahty of shelves shown at 11, while the doors 9 are provided with glassas shown in Figure I and give access to a plurality of inchned cross-pieces 12. These cross-pieces are of a shape best shown in Figure V.

By viewing Figure III, it will be noted that these cross-pieces are arranged upon an incline in such a manner that when the commodities are placed thereon, such as cans or bottles, the same will move by gravity toward the doors 9.

In Figure 11 we have shown diagrammatically cans at 13 showing the position they will take upon the cross piece 12.

In order to prevent rattling of the cans or breakage of the bottles, we have vided a small pulley as shown at 14 an 16, over which a cable 17 passes. This cable has attached thereto a plurality of resilient pads 18 which pads may be placed between the bottles as shown in Figure IV, or may be arranged so as to hang downwardly from the lower ortion of the cable.

With this arrangement it is possible for a customer to approach the vehicle and with a glance ascertain the entire stock of the vendor, after which one of the doors such as 9 may be opened and the commodity desired delivered to the customer.

It will thus be seen that with with this simple arrangement we have provided .a travelling store which will have all the advantages of an ordinary city store.

It is to be understood that while we have shown the means for dispensing the commodities in conjunction with a vehicle, nevertheless, it is to be understood that the gravity feed principle and the chute system can be readily applied to store furniture, Without departing from the principle of the invention.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit claim In a commodity dispensing device, a body,

a central passage formed in said body, said body having a plurality of doors positioned on opposite sides thereof, means in said body for retaining thereonoa plurality of commodities to be dispensed, and mechanism forconveying the commodities to the doors positioned on the opposite sides of the bod said mechanism comprising a pair of flexible belts spaced on each side of the artidc to be dispensed and resilient pads positioned between said belts, whereby said commodities may be dispensed.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

\ ALBERT M. SWANSON,

LOUIS D. STOPPEL. 

